OTTAWA ONLINE OAD-41564 Compensation and Benefits Course Description Examines human resource functions of salary administration, job evaluation, compensation, legal requirements, and benefit designs (including medical, life, retirement, and flexible benefits). Emphasis on role of compensation and benefits in attracting, retaining and motivating employees. This is a fully online, eight-week course. We will not meet face-to-face at any time. Course Prerequisites None Course Objectives Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to: Describe the role of compensation and its relationship to key human resource practices. Identify the six core elements of compensation. Describe key issues related to the design of a benefits program. Differentiate between strategic and tactical compensation, and intrinsic and extrinsic compensation. Identify the role of incentive compensation in meeting strategic objectives. Analyze the impact of legislation on compensation systems within an organization in today s workplace. Describe the influence of an organization s external market and internal factors in the design and implementation of effective compensation and benefit plans. Identify various pay structures and describe the steps involved in developing pay structures within an organization. Analyze the impact of the new workforce and workplace on the design and implementation of compensation and benefit systems (global, contingent employees, and flexible workers). Required Text Martocchio, J.J. (2013). Strategic compensation: A human resource management approach (7th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. ISBN: 9780132620758 Course Assignment Descriptions and Schedule At-A-Glance You will have several opportunities to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of the principles taught in this course. The primary means of evaluating your work will be through practical application of the material. In the event that you have difficulty completing any of the assignments for this course, please contact your instructor 1 of 10
immediately. Please refer to the Weekly Materials section of the cyberclassroom for complete details regarding the activities and assignments for this course. The following is merely a summary. Discussion contributions (160 points) (three postings per week @ 20 points per week) Initial Substantive Posts: Submit an initial response to each of the prompts provided each week by your instructor. Your initial post should be substantive (approximately ½ of a page in length) and must be posted by midnight, Central Time by Wednesday of each week. In your substantive post you are encouraged to use references (you may use your textbook); show evidence of critical thinking as it applies to the concepts or prompt and/or use examples of the application of the concepts to work and life. Proper punctuation, grammar and correct spelling are expected. Please use the spell-check function. Required Replies: You must reply to at least two different peers per prompt. Your replies should build on the concept discussed, offer a question to consider, or add a differing perspective, etc. Rather than responding with, "Good post," explain why the post is "good" (why it is important, useful, insightful, etc.). Or, if you disagree, respectfully share your alternative perspective. Just saying "I agree" or "Good idea" is not sufficient for the posts you would like graded. Posting Guidelines: Overall, postings must be submitted on at least two separate days of the week. It is strongly recommended you visit the discussion forum throughout the week to read and respond to your peers postings. You are encouraged to post more than the required number of replies. (Please review the Policies section of Blackboard for further details.) Research Paper (190 points total) Locate the websites of two organizations that directly compete with one another. Using information on their websites, in conjunction with any press releases, articles, or other sources written about the organizations (e.g. articles from the full-text online articles databases available in the Resource Room of the Blackboard classroom), describe each company's competitive business strategy, philosophy, mission, lifecycle stage, etc. From the resources you are able to gather and/or infer about organizational policies and practices, specifically their approaches and practices towards compensation, benefits, & other rewards programs, discuss: How the rewards packages for each organization are aligned (or not aligned) with what you believe the company's strategy is, relative to the attraction, motivation, engagement, and retention of its employees. Take into account a variety of factors, including the nature of the company's business, the number of its competitors, any legal/regulatory matters, the industry sector in which the company operates, and other items that may affect the company's HR/rewards decisions. Your prediction for each company's (or product or service) future competitive business strategy, its business lifecycle, and describe what type of compensation, benefits, and total rewards programs would be appropriate for that particular strategy. 2 of 10
Where you see the organization heading. In doing so, you may wish to focus on the organization as a whole, or focus on a particular business unit or division, or a particular product or service provided by that company. Your paper must conform to APA format and should 5-7 pages in length, not including your title and reference pages. This paper consists of three components: Topic proposal (10 points) Due at the end of Week 3. Submit a one paragraph statement regarding the organizations you plan to research and why. Paper Outline Draft and Preliminary References (30 points) Due at the end of Week 5. Submit a draft outline of how you plan to address your topic/organizational HR issues. Additionally, include 3-5 references that will serve as sources of information about the HR practices of your organizations. These references must have been published within the last four years. Research Paper Final Draft (150 points) Due at the end of Week 8. Week 1 Readings All Online Content Associated with Week 1 Chapter 1: Strategic Compensation: A Component of HR Systems Assignment(s) Week 1 Quiz: This quiz is available in the Assignments area of the Blackboard classroom for this course. It is designed to give you an opportunity to check your understanding of the week's materials. You may take as long as you want to complete the quiz, but you must complete it by Sunday at midnight (Central Time). DUE: Sunday at Midnight, CT POINTS POSSIBLE: 10 Week 2 Readings Chapter 2: Contextual Influences on Compensation Practice All online content associated with Week 2 Assignment(s) Week 2 Quiz: This quiz is available in the Assignments area of the Blackboard classroom for this course. It is designed to give you an opportunity to check your understanding of the week's materials. You may take as long as you want to complete the quiz, but you must complete it by Sunday at midnight (Central Time). POINTS POSSIBLE: 10 Reading Response 1 Chapter 2, Discussion Question 5 (p. 49) 3 of 10
"Some people argue that there is too much government intervention, while others say there is not enough. Based on the presentation of laws in this chapter, do you think there is too little or too much government intervention? Explain your answer." Review the question noted above from your textbook, and write a response to this question. The length of your response may vary, depending on the question or exercise assigned. Your completed assignment must be written in MS Word, follow the APA writing style guidelines for grammar, spelling, and punctuation, and should be between 1-2½ pages in length. Points Possible: 25 Week 3 Readings Chapter 3: Traditional Bases for Pay Chapter 4: Incentive Pay All online content associated with Week 3 Assignment(s) Week 3 Quizzes (2): These two quizzes are available in the Assignments area of the the Blackboard classroom for this course. They are designed to give you an opportunity to check your understanding of the week's materials. You may take as long as you want to complete the quizzes, but you must complete them by Sunday at midnight (Central Time). POINTS POSSIBLE: 10 each (20 total) Reading Response 2 Chapter 4, Discussion Question 2 (p. 97) "There is currently a tendency among business professionals to endorse the use of incentive pay plans. Identify two jobs for which individual incentive pay is appropriate and two jobs for which individual incentive pay is inappropriate. Be sure to include your justification." Review the question noted above from your textbook, and write a response to this question. The length of your response may vary, depending on the question or exercise assigned. Your completed assignment must be written in MS Word, follow the APA writing style guidelines for grammar, spelling, and punctuation, and should be between 1-2½ pages in length. Points Possible: 25 Research Paper Topic Proposal Review the instructions for the Research Paper found in the Week 1 Materials. Submit your paper topic idea, as well as one or two paragraphs explaining why you would like to conduct research on this 4 of 10
topic and what aspects of this topic you plan to explore. If you have an alternate idea, you may submit that as well. Points Possible: 10 Week 4 Readings Chapter 6: Building Internally Consistent Compensation Systems All online Material Associated with Week 4 Assignment(s) Week 4 Quiz: This quiz is available in the Assignments area of the the Blackboard classroom for this course. It is designed to give you an opportunity to check your understanding of the week's materials. You may take as long as you want to complete the quiz, but you must complete it by Sunday at midnight (Central Time). POINTS POSSIBLE: 10 Article Summary Using the article databases found in Myers Library Online (in the Resource Room of our Blackboard classroom), find a business article relating to the topic of compensation and/or benefits, and prepare a two to three page summary in APA format. The paper should include a summary of the author's main points, along with your perspective on the subject matter. References to other reading material and resources related to the topic of the article are encouraged and must be cited according to APA style. Include a reference page with a citation for your selected article and any other resources used. Please use APA formatting for this paper and add the course number and name, instructor name, and date to the other title page requirements for APA formatting. DUE: Sunday at Midnight, CT POINTS POSSIBLE: 50 Week 5 Readings Chapter 7: Building Market-Competitive Compensation System All online content associated with Week 5 5 of 10
Assignment(s) Week 5 Quiz: This quiz is available in the Assignments area of the the Blackboard classroom for this course. It is designed to give you an opportunity to check your understanding of the week's materials. You may take as long as you want to complete the quiz, but you must complete it by Sunday at midnight (Central Time). POINTS POSSIBLE: 10 Reading Response 3 You are a compensation analyst for Worry-Not Insurance Company, which is located in Hartford, Connecticut. Define the relevant labor market for insurance claims adjusters and for data entry clerks. Describe the rationale for your definitions. Review the question noted above and write a response to this question. The length of your response may vary, depending on the question or exercise assigned. Your completed assignment must be written in MS Word, follow the APA writing style guidelines for grammar, spelling, and punctuation, and should be between 1-2½ pages in length. DUE: Sunday at Midnight, CT POINTS POSSIBLE: 25 Research Paper Draft Outline & References Submit a draft outline of how you plan to address your topic/organizational HR issues. Additionally, include 3-5 references that will serve as sources of information about the HR practices of your organizations. These references must have been published within the last four years and should be provided in APA format. DUE: Sunday at Midnight, CT POINTS POSSIBLE: 30 Week 6 Readings Chapter 8: Building Pay Structures that Recognize Employee Contributions Chapter 9: Discretionary Benefits All online content associated with Week 6 Assignment(s) Week 6 Quizzes (2): These two quizzes are available in the Assignments area of the the Blackboard classroom for this course. They are designed to give you an opportunity to check your understanding of the week's materials. You may take as long as you want to complete the quizzes, but you must complete them by Sunday at midnight (Central Time). POINTS POSSIBLE: 10 (each) 6 of 10
Reading Response 4 Chapter 8 Discussion Question 3 (p.202) "Describe some ethical dilemmas sales professionals may encounter. How can sales compensation programs be modified to minimize ethical dilemmas?" Review the question noted above from your textbook, and write a response to this question. The length of your response may vary, depending on the question or exercise assigned. Your completed assignment must be written in MS Word, follow the APA writing style guidelines for grammar, spelling, and punctuation, and should be between 1-2½ pages in length. Points Possible: 25 Week 7 Readings Chapter 10: Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plans and Health Insurance Programs Chapter 11: Legally Required Benefits All online material associated with Week 7 Assignment(s) Week 7 Quizzes: These quizzes are available in Assignments area of the the Blackboard classroom for this course. They are designed to give you an opportunity to check your understanding of the week's materials. You may take as long as you want to complete the quizzes, but you must complete them by Sunday at midnight (Central Time). POINTS POSSIBLE: 10 (each) Reading Response 5 Chapter 10 Discussion Question 5 (p. 241) "Discuss some of the choices an employer may make to help control health care costs." Review the question noted above from your textbook, and write a response to this question. The length of your response may vary, depending on the question or exercise assigned. Your completed assignment must be written in MS Word, follow the APA writing style guidelines for grammar, spelling, and punctuation, and should be between 1-2½ pages in length. Points Possible: 25 Week 8 Readings Chapter 12: Compensating Executives All online material associated with Week 8 7 of 10
on Saturday Assignment(s) Week 8 Quiz: This quiz is available in Assignments area of the the Blackboard classroom for this course. It is designed to give you an opportunity to check your understanding of the week's materials. You may take as long as you want to complete the quiz, but you must complete it by Saturday at midnight (Central Time). DUE: Saturday at midnight, CT POINTS POSSIBLE: 10 Research Paper Locate the websites of two organizations that directly compete with one another. Using information on their websites, in conjunction with any press releases, articles, or other sources written about the organizations (e.g. articles from the full-text online articles databases available in the Resource Room of the Blackboard classroom), describe each company's competitive business strategy, philosophy, mission, lifecycle stage, etc. From the resources you are able to gather and/or infer about organizational policies and practices, specifically their approaches and practices towards compensation, benefits, & other rewards programs, discuss: How the rewards packages for each organization are aligned (or not aligned) with what you believe the company's strategy is, relative to the attraction, motivation, engagement, and retention of its employees. Take into account a variety of factors, including the nature of the company's business, the number of its competitors, any legal/regulatory matters, the industry sector in which the company operates, and other items that may affect the company's HR/rewards decisions. Your prediction for each company's (or product or service) future competitive business strategy, its business lifecycle, and describe what type of compensation, benefits, and total rewards programs would be appropriate for that particular strategy. Where you see the organization heading. In doing so, you may wish to focus on the organization as a whole, or focus on a particular business unit or division, or a particular product or service provided by that company. Your paper must conform to APA format and should 5-7 pages in length, not including your title and reference pages. Due: Saturday at Midnight, CT Points Possible: 150 * All online weeks run from Monday to Sunday, except the last week, which ends on Saturday. ** All assignments are due at midnight Central Time. (All submissions to the Blackboard system are date/time stamped in Central Time). 8 of 10
Assignments At-A-Glance Assignment/Activity Qty. Points Total Points 20 160 Weeks 1-8: Discussion* - per week Week 1-8: Quizzes 11 10 110 Weeks 2, 3, 5, 6, 7: Reading Responses 5 25 125 Week 4: Article Summary 1 50 50 Week 2: Topic Proposal 1 10 10 Week 5: Draft Outline & Resources 1 30 30 Week 8: Research Paper 1 150 150 TOTAL POINTS 635 *Please refer to the Policies menu for more information about requirements for Discussions. Grading Scale Grade Percentage Points A 90 to 100% 572-635 B 80 to 89% 508-571 C 70 to 79% 445-509 D 60 to 69% 381-444 F < 60% < 380 To access your scores, click on Grades in the Student Tools area in Blackboard. Important Policies All course-specific policies for this course are spelled out here in this syllabus. However, additional university policies are located in the Policies section of Blackboard. You are responsible for reading and understanding all of these policies. All of them are important. Failure to understand or abide by them could have negative consequences for your experience in this course. Editorial Format for Written Papers All written assignments are to follow the APA writing style guidelines for grammar, spelling, and punctuation. This online course includes information regarding the APA style under Writing and Research Resources in the Resource Room on the course menu in Blackboard. Ottawa Online Late Policy With instructor approval, assignments may be accepted for up to one week after the due date, but a minimum automatic deduction of 10% of the points will be assessed. The instructor also has the option of increasing this deduction percentage up to a maximum of 20%. Extenuating circumstances may be determined on rare occasions and an extension allowed without a deduction, but only at the sole discretion of the instructor. Discussion board postings will not be accepted for credit when posted after the close of the discussion week. There are no exceptions to this rule; however, solely at the discretion of the instructor, the student may be allowed to submit an alternative assignment to make up for the points under extenuating circumstances. If granted, this should be an exception to the rule. 9 of 10
No assignments will be accepted after the last day of the course (end of term) unless arrangements have been made and approved by the instructor at least one week in advance. Saving Work It is recommended that you save all of your work from this course on your own computer or flash drive. The capstone course you take at the end of your program may require you to have access to this work for culminating assignments and/or reflections. Academic Integrity Plagiarism and cheating will not be tolerated at any level on any assignment. The reality of cyberspace has made academic dishonesty even more tempting for some, but be advised that technology can and will be used to help uncover those engaging in deception. If you ever have a question about the legitimacy of a source or a procedure you are considering using, ask your instructor. As the University Academic Council approved on May 29, 2003, The penalty for plagiarism or any other form of academic dishonesty will be failure in the course in which the academic dishonesty occurred. Students who commit academic dishonesty can be dismissed from the university by the provost/director. Please refer to Academic Honesty in the Policies section of the online course menu for important information about Ottawa University s policies regarding plagiarism and cheating, including examples and explanations of these issues. Student Handbook Please refer to your student handbook for all university regulations. The Resource Room on the course menu in Blackboard contains information about where to find the student handbook online for your campus. Please see Policies in Blackboard for additional university policies. Blackboard Technical Support The Resource Room in Blackboard contains links to student tutorials for learning to use Blackboard as well as information about whom to contact for technical support. Ottawa University offers technical support from 8 a.m. to midnight Central Time for all students, staff, and faculty at no cost. See www.ottawa.edu/ouhelp for contact information. Ottawa University s Mission The mission of Ottawa University is to provide the highest quality liberal arts and professional education in a caring, Christ-centered community of grace which integrates faith, learning and life. The University serves students of traditional age, adult learners and organizations through undergraduate and graduate programs. 10 of 10